Rams vs. Oakland Raiders: Who has the edge?

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In this Aug. 18, 2018, file photo, Rams coach Sean McVay, right, greets Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden after their NFL preseason game in Los Angeles. There is quite a bit of intrigue around what Gruden’s offense will look like in his first game as coach in 10 years. He spent the past nine seasons after being fired in Tampa Bay as the analyst for “Monday Night Football.” (AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo, File)

It’s the great unknown against the weakened known. The Rams’ starters didn’t play a single snap in the preseason, and their backups ran a bland offense with zero plays that Coach Sean McVay will call against the Raiders. The questions are obvious for the Rams. Will running back Todd Gurley maintain his astounding 2017 success, and will quarterback Jared Goff take another step forward after a strong first full season as a starter? The Raiders were dealt a blow last week when defensive end Khalil Mack’s contract holdout ended with a trade to Chicago. Given that the Raiders had a below-average defense last season with Mack, their prospects for improvement don’t seem good. EDGE: RAMS

RAIDERS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE

Similarly, it’s tough to see how the Raiders take a step forward from last season, when they ranked 23rd in the NFL in points (18.8 per game) and tied for 17th in yards (324.1 per game). The skill personnel – Derek Carr, Marshawn Lynch, Amari Cooper – returns, but Oakland is breaking in a new rookie left tackle. The hope is that new coach Jon Gruden can work some magic. This will be the full debut of the Rams’ new-look defense, which didn’t have Aaron Donald in the preseason. Donald playing next to Suh, and providing pressure for a secondary that includes new cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, sounds difficult for Oakland, even if the Rams don’t have tape on Gruden’s offense. EDGE: RAMS

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SPECIAL TEAMS

The Raiders cut kicker Giorgio Tavecchio last month and intended to give the job to rookie Eddy Pineiro, but Pineiro recently was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. Now the job falls to recently signed kicker Mike Nugent, a 14-year veteran who played four games for Dallas and four games for Chicago last season. The Raiders also have a new punter, Johnny Townsend, whom they drafted in the fifth round in April. By all accounts, Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein is ready to go after his 2017 season ended early because of back surgery. Zuerlein was a huge part of the Rams’ success last season, as were two fellow Pro Bowl selections: punter Johnny Hekker and returner Pharoh Cooper. EDGE: RAMS

COACHING

The Rams’ Sean McVay can’t seem to avoid his mentors. Last September, the Rams faced Washington and Coach Jay Gruden, under whom McVay previously worked as offensive coordinator. Now, McVay will stand opposite Jon Gruden, who hired him in Tampa Bay nine years ago as a low-level assistant. It will be interesting to see if McVay is calmer this time. A year ago against Washington, in only his second game as a head coach, McVay admittedly wasn’t at his best and took the loss. The respect level is high between McVay and Gruden, who returns to the NFL after a 10-year absence. EDGE: RAIDERS

INTANGIBLES

Even though their team is on the cusp of leaving for Las Vegas, Raiders fans are fired up about the return of Gruden, and a Monday night crowd in Oakland isn’t going to be tame. The Rams have been practicing with extra noise over the past week. Oakland’s concerns are more practical. Last season, the Raiders had the fourth-worst turnover margin in the NFL (minus-14) and also had the league’s seventh-most penalty yards (1,009). That’s a bad combination. The issue for the Rams, as has been well-documented, is potential rust. The offense didn’t play in the preseason, and the defense had two series. EDGE: RAMS

Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald vs. Raiders offensive tackle Kolton Miller. The Raiders made an interesting, and eye-opening, decision in training camp when they moved Donald Penn, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, to right tackle, and gave the left side to Miller, whom they drafted out of UCLA with the No. 15 overall pick in April. And who does Miller draw in his first regular-season game? Donald, last season’s NFL defensive player of the year. Given that the Raiders also have to account for Ndamukong Suh and Michael Brockers, the Raiders could have trouble keeping the Rams out of their backfield.

PREDICTION: RAMS 31, RAIDERS 21

How are the Rams favored by only four points? Perhaps there’s concern about their preseason no-show, and perhaps the return of Gruden has inspired optimism, but it’s difficult to find an area in which the Raiders should clearly outplay the Rams. Rust figures to be the Rams’ biggest enemy, and perhaps there’s some concern about their linebackers, but unless the Rams have major turnover woes, this figures to be a game in which Goff gets off to a good start and receiver Brandin Cooks makes a strong debut. If the Rams struggle here, it could be an ominous harbinger for the rest of the season.

Rich Hammond was a high school senior when the Rams left town in 1995, and now he's their beat writer for the Southern California News Group. A native of L.A., Rich broke in at the Daily Breeze as a college freshman and also has covered USC, the Kings, the Lakers and the Dodgers. He still loves sports and telling stories. Don't take the sarcastic tweets too seriously.